The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela categorically rejects the attempts by the government of the United States of America to ignore the sovereign will of the Venezuelan people as expressed in the vote of October 15, 2017, that was held in strict adherence to the Constitution and the legal system. The Venezuelan people participated in a sovereign, peaceful manner and with an overwhelming turnout to elect, through a universal, direct and secret vote, governors for the 23 states in the country.

The declarations by the State Department of the United States of America do not surprise either the Venezuelan people or government, given that, as has been the case over the past years, the results of Venezuelan elections and the will of its people are ignored by whichever presidential administration is in place immediately after they are announced by the Venezuelan body in charge of elections. This type of declaration only serves to encourage and endorse the calls for chaos, instability, violence and extremism promoted by a minority sector of Venezuelan society that has historically counted on the support and financing of the U.S. government.

In this regard, we once again denounce, to the international community, the systematic campaign of aggressions, threats and interference by a U.S. administration against the homeland of Bolívar in clear violation of the norms and principles that should govern peaceful relations between States. On this occasion it is against our electoral system, despite the fact that it has been internationally recognized as one of the most trustworthy and it provides physical receipts of electronic voting, as well as several phases of audits that guarantee both the transparency of the electoral process and the meticulousness of the system.

The successful elections held on October 15, 2017, which also relied on the customary presence of renowned international and national accompaniers who attested to the process, are irrefutable proof of the will and determination of the people to resolve their difference via democracy and political dialogue, as well as of their peaceful nature and unwavering desire to consolidate social stability in the country.

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in reaffirming its independent and sovereign disposition, vigorously condemns the threats made by the administration of President Donald Trump to impose their economic and diplomatic power against the Venezuelan people for having decided to be the masters of their own destiny, without intervention of any kind, within its vibrant model of participatory and protagonical democracy.